Strange quark contributions to neutrino and antineutrino nucleus scattering via neutral current in quasi-elastic region

TL;DR

This paper investigates how strange quark contributions affect neutrino and antineutrino scattering on nucleons and carbon nuclei in the quasi-elastic region, highlighting the asymmetry as a key observable.

Contribution

It extends the analysis of strange quark effects from nucleons to nuclear targets using a relativistic model, emphasizing the sensitivity of asymmetry measurements.

Findings

Strange quark effects significantly influence neutrino-antineutrino scattering asymmetry.

The $A( u, u' N)$ reaction is highly sensitive for detecting strangeness.

Final state interactions are incorporated via a relativistic optical potential.

Abstract

Strange quark contributions to the neutral current reaction in the neutrino scattering are investigated on the nucleon level and extended to the $^{12}$C target nucleus through the neutrino-induced knocked-out nucleon process in the quasi-elastic region within the framework of a relativistic single particle model. The incident energy range between 500 MeV and 1.0 GeV is used for the neutrino(antineutrino) scattering. Effects of the final state interaction for the knocked-out nucleon are included by a relativistic optical potential. We found that the sensitivity of the strange quark contents could be salient on the asymmetry between neutrino and antineutrino scattering cross sections. In specific, $A (\nu ({\bar \nu}), \nu^{'} ({\bar \nu}^{'}) N)$ reaction is shown to be very sensitive test in the searches of the strangeness.